An assessment the U.S. should not take lightly

Pakistan has been America's strongest ally in the Muslim world in the war on global terrorism, and for that its president, Pervez Musharraf, has been the target of three assassination attempts. Yet, Musharraf has remained steadfast in his support of President Bush's campaign against Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaida terrorist organization.
It is, therefore, noteworthy when the Pakistani leader publicly comments about what is going on in Iraq.
Last week, in an interview with CNN's Paula Zahn, Musharraf offered an assessment of the situation that the Bush administration and Congress should not ignore. Why? Because he is literally on the frontlines of the war on terrorism, seeing as how bin Laden is reportedly hiding out in the mountains on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Zahn asked Musharraf if the world is a safer place because of the war in Iraq.
"No," replied the president. "It is more dangerous. It is not safer, certainly not."
The veteran television reporter asked Musharraf to explain.
"Well, because it has aroused the passions of the Muslims more," he said. "This arouses certain sentiments of the Muslim world. And then the response is the latest phenomenon of explosives, remotely controlled bombs and suicide bombings. This phenomenon is extremely dangerous."
As to whether it was a mistake for the United States and its coalition partners, led by Britain but minus Pakistan, to have gone to war with Iraq, Musharraf's statement was diplomatic in its vagueness:
"Well, I would say that it has ended up bringing more trouble to the world."
First debate
On Thursday, President Bush and his Democratic challenger, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, will meet for the first of three debates leading up to the November general election. This one will focus on foreign policy and national security.
With terrorism and the continuing crisis in Iraq as the centerpieces of the election, the Pakistani president's assessment looms large.
It cannot be dismissed as the musings of an anti-American zealot, nor can it be ignored as coming from someone with little or no first-hand experience with Al-Qaida's brand of terrorism. The organization has cells inside Pakistan that have been waging a battle against the Musharraf government.
Indeed, on Sunday, paramilitary police killed a suspected top Al-Qaida operative, wanted for alleged involvement in the kidnapping of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Amjad Hussain Farooqi was wanted for his alleged role in the kidnapping and beheading of Pearl in 2002 and two assassination attempts against Musharraf in December 2003.
The arrest is significant because of widespread suspicion in the United States and in other western countries that Pakistan's intelligence agency has top-ranking operatives who have been in league with Islamic extremists and members of Al-Qaida.
Musharraf denied Friday that Pakistan's security service is helping bin Laden in particular or Al-Qaida in general, according to CNN.
With the Pakistani president's credibility now seemingly restored, it is crucial that President Bush and Kerry answer in detail the question that was put to Musharraf: "Is the world a safer place because of the war in Iraq?"
Thus far, the presidential campaign has been a battle of soundbites, personal attacks and negative advertising. The American people deserve better. They deserve a serious discussion of the overriding issue in this election: global terrorism.